Campbell's Heritage Theatre will use funds accumulated over 10 years to do repairs

The Campbell City Council has agreed to allow the Heritage Theatre to tap the funds the city has been saving for the last 10 years to make repairs and updates to the theater.

When the building was restored a decade ago, a $1 fee per attendee was implemented, and the money was funneled into the Preservation and Enhancement Fund, an account reserved for future repairs to the building as needed.

When the building was restored, a timeline of future updates to the theater also was put in place.

"Some of those things we've stretched out a little longer, and really, it's time to replace them. We'll spend more on repairing them at this point," she said.

The fund is separate from the city's general fund. Bissell explained that the fund has always been a necessary backup plan. If a piece of theater equipment were to break--if the soundboard were to go out, for example--fixing it could cost thousands of dollars and be a "really big hit" to the general fund.

Now that the city has given authority to use the funds, Bissell expects the updates to be implemented within the next year.

Advertisement

The stage floor that was installed in February 2004 had a life expectancy of six years, according to the recommendation prepared for the council by Bissell. The stage has been sanded every other year for the last 10 years and is now at a point where it can't be sanded down again.

The estimated cost of replacing the floor is $15,000.

"The stage floor is an integral part of the Heritage Theatre, and staff has done an excellent job in maintaining the floor long past the expected life," Bissell wrote.

The cyclorama, the large, flat white curtain that is positioned at the back of the stage and is used for lighting and backdrop images during performances, was also installed in 2004 but had a life expectancy of eight years. Bissell noted that the cyclorama has "visible damage and wear and tear that cannot be fixed," and the estimated cost of replacing it is $2,500.

The theater uses wireless microphones at 700 MHz, a frequency that was prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission as of June 2010, except for use by public safety services. Bissell wrote that it is essential that the digital wireless receiver be upgraded to one that runs on an authorized frequency. The upgrade, which would cost an estimated $9,000, would also provide "a more state of the art experience for performers and rental clients," she wrote.

Bissell wrote that staff has seen an increase in day-of ticket sales for its rental client base and often struggles to issue tickets in a timely manner because there is only one ticket window. In some instances, staff sets up a ticket booth at the entrance to the lobby to address the high volume of sales.

Theater staff worked with the building maintenance division to have the box office outfitted with two work stations. However, additional equipment, such as a microphone and headset, are still needed and would cost an estimated $1,500.

The number of children attending the Heritage Theatre has increased, and many don't weigh enough to keep the flip-up seats weighted down. Staff has requested 72 booster seats for children and two holding racks for the seats, which would cost an estimated $1,000, Bissell wrote.

The staff would like to purchase an indoor marquee that would replace the printed sponsor sign in the lobby. The printed sign costs about $500 per year and is a static feature, while a marquee would be more eye-catching and could be customized for events for an additional charge of $100, Bissell wrote.